Paddle-wheeler cancels all Cape Girardeau stops this season

American Heritage, a five-decker paddle wheel boat, will not be stopping as scheduled in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, July 29, according to a news release from VisitCape.

In fact, all scheduled dockings at Cape Girardeau's Riverfront Park for American Heritage have been canceled this season, said Josh Thompson, VisitCape's office administrator.

Other visits by the boat were slated for Friday, Aug. 18, Thursday, Sept. 7, and Wednesday, Sept. 27.

"We're not sure why the parent company, American Cruise Lines, made this decision and haven't gotten an answer yet to that question," said Thompson, who indicated ACL did dock its American Symphony vessel in Cape Girardeau on June 19, and another of its boats, American Serenade, is still slated to arrive in the Port of Cape Girardeau on Sunday, Aug. 20.

A 150-passenger vessel, American Heritage was built in 2015 and, until a year ago, was known as Queen of the Mississippi.

The next scheduled docking in Cape Girardeau is set for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, when American Queen Voyages' American Countess paddle-wheeler is due to visit.